Wives and Daughters, by Elizabeth Gaskell, is part of the Barnes & Noble Classics series, which offers quality editions at affordable prices to the student and the general reader, including new scholarship, thoughtful design, and pages of carefully crafted extras. Here are some of the remarkable... show more

Wives and Daughters, by Elizabeth Gaskell, is part of the Barnes & Noble Classics series, which offers quality editions at affordable prices to the student and the general reader, including new scholarship, thoughtful design, and pages of carefully crafted extras. Here are some of the remarkable features of Barnes & Noble Classics:All editions are beautifully designed and are printed to superior specifications; some include illustrations of historical interest. Barnes & Noble Classics pulls together a constellation of influencesbiographical, historical, and literaryto enrich each reader's understanding of these enduring works. Tremendously popular in her lifetime, Elizabeth Gaskell has often been overshadowed by her contemporaries the Brontës and George Eliot. Yet the reputation of her long-neglected masterpiece Wives and Daughters continues to grow, fulfilling Henry James’s prophecy that the novel would continue for years to come to be read and relished . . .so delicately, so elaborately, so artistically, so truthfully, and heartily is the story wrought out.”An enchanting tale of romance, scandal, and intrigue in the gossipy English town of Hollingford around the 1830s, Wives and Daughters tells the story of Molly Gibson, the seventeen-year-old daughter of a widowed country doctor. When her father remarries, she forms a close friendship with her new stepsisterthe beautiful and worldly Cynthiauntil they become love rivals for the affections of Squire Hamley’s sons, Osbourne and Roger. When sudden illness and death reveal some secrets while shrouding others in even deeper mystery, Molly feels that the world is out of joint and it is up to hertrusted by all but listened to by noneto set it right.Amy M. King is Assistant Professor of English at St. John’s University in New York City and the author of Bloom: The Botanical Vernacular in the English Novel (Oxford University Press, 2003).

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I listened to the Blackstone Audio book, read by Nadia May, who was wonderful and clearly enjoyed reading this book aloud. I don't think my experience would have been nearly as rich reading the book to myself. The downside is that it's almost 16 hours long! That's a pretty big time investment as a l...

Having heard a lot about Gaskell, I was prepared for something similar to Jane Austen. And in many instances, Gaskell fulfilled that expectation. This was a romance with the pre-requisite class distinction, harsh societal rules and busy bodies. Unfortunately, it also had Molly, the main characte...

I was prepared to be generous and give "Wives and Daughters" four stars for its sarcasm, deeply complex characters and many relevant themes. However there were small parts of the novel I did not like, and as the ending disappointed me gravely I ended on three stars instead.I adore Gaskell's biting s...

In Gaskell's final (and unfinished) novel, she focuses on the quiet English countryside, where the Gibson and Hamley families live. Molly is the heroine of the novel. She's very likeable, loving character; in fact, she seems to be the emotional voice of the story; everyone else prides themselves on ...

Why has it taken me so long to finally read this wonderful novel? I bought the Penguin edition when I was in my 20s, read a page or two, put it down and didn't pick it up again. The book sat on my shelf for years. For all I know, it could be there still. However, after university I went right off Vi...

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